My Experience With Prejudice Against Children With Down Syndrome

by Laura Echevarria

 In a very personal way, I could identify with a recent story in the Washington Post that discussed how routinely medical personnel speak negatively when a prenatal diagnosis suggests a child may have Down syndrome.

In 2002, I was about 21 weeks along with our second child. During a routine ultrasound, when the technician reached my son’s neck and spine, she kept checking the area and doing measurements.

My husband looked at me with a question in his eyes. He knew that because I worked at National Right to Life, I was used to seeing ultrasounds. He wanted to know if I saw anything that was wrong. I didn’t.

 But at our follow-up visit to the obstetrician, we were told that there was a chance our son, Peter, had Down syndrome. Apparently, he had a marker that was considered a strong indicator.

Our doctor scheduled a visit with a group practice of perinatologists affiliated with our local hospital. We would go and have a more thorough ultrasound that could be evaluated by an expert.

We were upset, naturally, and worried about short- and long- term decisions we would have to make about our son’s care, if he had Down’s. We told our 3 1/2 year-old daughter, who was very much looking forward to having a baby brother, that he might be very special.

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